PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 4, Number 49 (November 14, 2010) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Susan Benecchi Co-Editors: Melissa Lane, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Planetary Science Technology Review (PSTR) 2. Graduate Students Eligible for the LPI Career Development Award! 3. New-Horizons Workshop on Icy Surface Processes 4. Microsymposium 52: The Moon: The First Billion Years of Crustal Evolution 5. 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC-2011) 6. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions o---------------------------------------------------------------------o 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 PLANETARY SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY REVIEW (PSTR) A "Planetary Science Technology Review" (PSTR) panel was chartered early this year by the Planetary Science Division (PSD) at NASA headquarters. The panel's primary purpose is to assist the PSD in developing a coordinated/integrated technology development plan that will better utilize technology resources. To accomplish this, the panel has reviewed current technology development activities and will be suggesting process and policy changes to address any weaknesses. This panel compliments the work of the PSS working group addressing planetary SR&T and will rely on the Planetary Science Decadal Survey to identify what technologies will need to be invested in. The panel has concluded its assessment phase and has made some observations and identified some issues. The panel is now soliciting ideas from the community for the best solutions. A list of observations and issues along with a simple two question survey has been developed to facilitate input. The list and survey can be found on PSTR website at: http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/PlanetaryScience/ Please take a moment to provide your suggestions on how to improve the development of planetary technologies. This is an important and easy opportunity to make a positive change. Thank you in advance for your contribution. Tibor Kremic Panel Chair 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 GRADUATE STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR THE LPI CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD! The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is proud to announce its fourth LPI Career Development Award, which is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. applicants. This award will be given to graduate students who have submitted a first-author abstract for presentation at the 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center (Woodlands,TX). A travel stipend of $800.00 will be awarded to the top applicants to help cover their travel expenses for attending the LPSC in March. Application deadline: January 7, 2011. Send applications to: Dr. Stephen Mackwell c/o Claudia Quintana 3600 Bay Area Boulevard Houston TX 77058-1113 cquintana@hou.usra.edu Awards will be based on a review of the application materials by a panel of lunar and planetary scientists. Applications must include: * Letter outlining why the applicant would like to participate at the LPSC and what he or she will contribute to the conference * Letter of recommendation from his or her research advisor * Copy of the first-author abstract * Curriculum Vita for the applicant All contributions to the endowment fund are tax-deductible. Please contact Dr. Stephen Mackwell (mackwell@lpi.usra.edu) if you are interested in contributing to this effort. (Editor note: Edited for Length) 3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 NEW-HORIZONS WORKSHOP ON ICY SURFACE PROCESSES August 30 - 31, 2011, Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona. The principal objective of this workshop is to review the state of knowledge and present new ideas pertaining to the geological and geochemical processes that operate on the surfaces of icy worlds, with the goal of aiding our understanding of the Pluto system during the first reconnaissance in 2015 by NASA's New Horizons mission. In recognition of the Lowell Observatory's key role in the discovery of the Pluto System, Lowell is hosting the workshop on the old Observatory grounds. Co-sponsored by SwRI and NASA ARC. The workshop will focus on Solar System solid body icy surfaces (anywhere in the Solar System) and the physical and geological processes that shape icy landforms and mobilize surface materials. Subjects covered include possible analogs for surfaces of Pluto system, compositional considerations, the physical properties of surface materials, landscape and volatile origin and evolution, the implications for other KBOs, and the plans and expected datasets resulting from Pluto system investigations by the NH’s mission. There will be invited and contributed talks, details to follow. Participation is open to anyone, limited to ~75 researchers. POC : Carrie Chavez ( carrie.l.chavez@nasa.gov ) 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4 MICROSYMPOSIUM 52: THE MOON: THE FIRST BILLION YEARS OF CRUSTAL EVOLUTION The Woodlands Waterway Marriot, The Woodlands, Texas, March 5-6, 2011 Sponsored by:Brown University, The Vernadsky Institute, Brown/MIT NLSI. The goal of Microsymposium 52 is to present a summary of new discoveries, and to bring together representatives of the lunar geology, mineralogy, petrology, spectroscopy, geochemistry and geophysics communities to ponder the implications of these new findings for the next generation of significant scientific problems. A critical aspect of this discussion will be to assess the implications of this new perspective for future modes and destinations for robotic exploration of the Moon. The Microsymposium will be held at the Woodlands Waterway Marriot Hotel and Convention Center, March 5-6th, 2011, at the site of the 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference taking place March 7-11, 2011. Microsymposium 52 will begin at 1 PM on Saturday, March 5th, and will conclude Sunday, March 6th, by 1 PM. Please go to: http://www.planetary.brown.edu/html_pages/micro52.htm to express interest. Co-conveners: Carle Pieters, Maria Zuber, James Head, Alexander Basilevsky, Michael Wyatt and Harald Hiesinger (Editor note: Edited for Length) 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5 2011 NEXT-GENERATION SUBORBITAL RESEARCHERS CONFERENCE (NSRC-2011) Registration: Open Abstract deadline: 23 November Hosted by Space Florida, the University of Central Florida, and the Southwest Research Institute, NSRC is *the* meeting for researchers and educators wanting to participate in, learn about, and contribute to the new era of frequent and inexpensive commercial, reusable suborbital spaceflight and it's research and education applications. Over 350 people attended the 2010 meeting in Boulder, and still more are expected at the coming meeting. This year's meeting will put particular interest on suborbital applications in education and public outreach, astronomy and planetary science space life sciences, microgravity sciences, and international interest in next-gen suborbital. The conference will take place on the University of Central Florida campus Feb 28 to Mar 2, 2011. Reserve your seat by registering soon at: http://nsrc.swri.org/ For those wishing to speak, abstracts are due in less than two weeks-- the deadline is Nov 23rd; just follow the links at the web site to submit. The sponsors and the conveners of NSRC-2011 look forward to your participation in three days of informative sessions, panels, and networking in beautiful Orlando, beginning February 28th. 6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS March 5-6, 2011 The Moon: The First Billion Years of Crustal Evolution http://www.planetary.brown.edu/html_pages/micro52.htm The Woodlands, TX August 30-31, 2011 New-Horizons Workshop on Icy Surface Processes Contact: Carrie Chavez (carrie.l.chavez@nasa.gov) Flagstaff, AZ Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which your colleagues should be aware, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor at psi.edu.] *********************************************************************** * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at http://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.html * * To unsubscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_unsubscribe.html * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor at psi.edu. * Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs * for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job * announcements. 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